Birds of prey (Raptors) are top predator avian species that many migrate annually through Mesopotamian marshes in southern Iraq toward their wintering grounds in Arabia and Africa, while others are breeding residents; however, information on their current status is scarce. From January 2016 to April 2019, a total of 20 field expeditions were conducted in the geographical zone of the Mesopotamian marshes, wetlands of international importance. The survey covered the Central Marshes, Al-Hammar and Hawizeh Marsh. One of the objectives of the field surveys is to list the raptors species that wintering and/or migrating through the Mesopotamian marshes and to understand their current spatial and temporal distribution. In the present study, a to

The electrochemical polymerization of the monomer sulfanilamide (SAM) in an aqueous solution at room temperature produces polysulfanilamide (PSAM). The Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to investigate the properties of the prepared polymer layer that generated on the stainless steel (St.S) surface (working electrode) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) was used to characterize the morphology, topology, and detailed surface structure of polymer layer that generated on the surface. The corrosion behavior of uncoated and coated St.S were evaluated by using the electrochemical polarization method in a 0.2 M HCl solution and a temperature range of 293–323 K, the anticorrosion action of the polymer coating on stainless steel

Anemia of chronic disease (ACD) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are the two most important types of anemia in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Functional iron deficiency in ACD can be attributed to overexpression of the main iron regulatory hormone hepcidin leading to diversion of iron from the circulation into storage sites resulting in iron-restricted erythropoiesis. The aim is to investigate the role of circulating hepcidin and to uncover the frequency of IDA in RA. The study included 51 patients with RA. Complete blood counts, serum iron, total iron binding capacity, ferritin, and hepcidin- 25 were assessed. ACD was found in 37.3% of patients, IDA in 11.8%, and combined (ACD/IDA) in 17.6%. Serum hepcidin was higher in ACD than in con

The human gastrointestinal system is a complex ecosystem crucial for well-being. During sepsis-induced gut injury, the integrity of the intestinal barrier can be compromised. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria, disrupts the intestinal barrier, contributing to inflammation and various dysfunctions. The current study explores the protective effects of limonene, a natural compound with diverse biological properties, against LPS-induced jejunal injury in mice. Oral administration of limonene at dosages of 100 and 200 mg/kg was used in the LPS mouse model. The Murine Sepsis Score (MSS) was utilized to evaluate the severity of sepsis, while serum levels of urea and creatinine served as indicators of renal f

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a significant contributor to end-stage renal failure in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Diabetic nephropathy is characterized by tubular atrophy, glomerular dilation, glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, and proteinuria, resulting in deterioration of kidney function. DN, primarily caused by hyperglycemia, accounts for millions of deaths globally and is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Matrix metalloproteinase 10 is an enzyme essential for the breakdown of extracellular matrix constituents. Fetuin-A forms soluble complexes with calcium and phosphate to prevent soft tissue mineralization Objectives: To determine the levels of Matrix Metalloproteinase 10 and

      The prevalence of diabetes is increasing rapidly and is now recognized as a significant global health problem. Diabetes occurs when a person does not produce enough insulin due to an imbalance in insulin production. This can lead to the failure of organs and tissues such as the kidneys, heart, blood vessels, eyes, nerves, and kidneys. As a result, early diagnosis and classification of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are critical to aiding physician assessments. Subsequently, the current study aims to determine irisin levels in patients with T2DM and pre-DM as early predictors for disease cases. The current study included 138 subjects divided into three groups based on fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glycosylated hemoglobi

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that mostly involves the spine and sacroiliac joints. It is associated with a decreased quality of life. Biological medicines such as infliximab and its biosimilar are the mainstay treatments for active ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective: The study objective was to conduct a pharmacoeconomic study comparing the cost-effectiveness of the reference infliximab with its biosimilar in ankylosing spondylitis patients visiting public hospitals.

Subjects and Method: This is a two-center pharmacoeconomic study performed at two large teaching governmental hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq, which s

Unused and expired pharmaceutical drugs are a novel type of organic corrosion inhibitor. They are less expensive, more effective, and less harmful than conventional organic corrosion inhibitors. This study investigated the effects of concentration, adsorption mechanism and thermodynamic parameters of enalapril malate (ENAP) as a corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in a saline solution (3.5 % NaCl). The polarization method was used to determine the corrosion rate and inhibition efficiency. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and atomic force spectroscopy (AFM) were used to investigate the surface morphology and topography of carbon steel after immersion in both uninhibited and inhibited media for 24 h. Fourier transform inf

The effects of T-shaped fins on the improvement of phase change materials (PCM) melting are numerically investigated in vertical triple-tube storage containment. The PCM is held in the middle pipe of a triple-pipe heat exchanger while the heat transfer fluid flows through the internal and external pipes. The dimension effects of the T-shaped fins on the melting process of the PCM are investigated to determine the optimum case. Results indicate that while using T-shaped fins improves the melting performance of the PCM, the improvement potential is mainly governed by the fin’s body rather than the head. Hence, the proposed T-shaped fin did not noticeably improve melting at the bottom of the PCM domain; additionally, a flat fin is ad